Interstellar Empires

If a superpower were to rule over the entirety of the universe, they would quickly find themselves drowning in logistical nightmares. What challenges might arise in that reality, and how could they be conquered or avoided altogether? That hypothetical scenario forms the basis of Interstellar Empires, an entertaining and informative documentary from science and futurism filmmaker Isaac Arthur.

Arthur openly admits that these concepts have been grappled with before in works of popular science fiction, including Frank Herbert's game changing opus Dune. His film debates the logistics of the seemingly far-fetched ideas presented in novels and video games, digs into their minutia, and provides a dizzying whirl of fascinating tangents along the way.

The task of keeping order in every galaxy would prove cumbersome to say the least. For instance, if chaos were to ensue on the other side of the universe, it could take a million years to hear the call for help and dispatch a fleet of spacecraft to deal with it. Effective governing would be inconceivable without advances in speed of light travel and the expansion of an average person's life span.

The film moves breathlessly as one perplexing concern inspires the next. If a life span could be extended far beyond our current expectations, how would it affect the character and function of the universe? The film considers a number of factors that might come into play, including concepts related to overpopulation, disease control, and the likelihood that a governing body would take a democratic form.

Arthur explains how many of today's technologies and accepted scientific theories could provide the seeds for this imagined future. His narration is constant, dense with insight, and often shifts between the playful and the studious. The film is also populated by stunningly imaginative graphics, a plethora of appropriate stock footage, and a stirring ambient underscore.

Above all else, Interstellar Empires inspires continued rumination on the possibilities of a universe far most immense than any of us can grasp. To the film's credit, it doesn't wallow in apocalyptic fantasy like so many of the "what-if" scenarios that are presented to us today. Instead, it offers the hope that anything is possible.

It's sad that the speech challenge is so important, but it IS. With every voic in the world to choose and choosing this one makes one thing that many, many other less-than-optimal choices must have been made. Presentation is SO important with a whole Internet of choices available.

actually its the narrator who has the impediment, we are under no obligation to understand gibberish

Stevan
- 03/27/2018 at 17:40

@David
Maybe watch a couple of his vids before commenting,most people dont know any real math behind sci fi technology nor the reasons why it wont work,you have a whole series dedicated to faster than light travel and why its probably impossible,you obviously don't understand the size of the universe if you think a galaxy spanning empire can get from one side of the galaxy to another,the distance is thousands if not milions of light years,thats years that you'd have to travel at the speed of light,while a ship that would travel at 20-30% of the speed of light would obviously be slower,but it would also require so much energy,and would generate so much heat that it would be like ridding on a sun.
Watch a few videos and dont comment stupid shit

@Stevan: Those who get so upset with others seem to be just as guilty of same, let alone guilty of arrogance. Just because you believe someone else's math, means what? That that guy's math is shortsighted? Some people believe that the speed of light is the maximum. That was proved wrong long ago, not by Tesla but he noted the fellow in pointing out the folly in Einsteins theory. Some particles of the atom travel faster. So then do we know the maximum?

What about Tesla's instant communication? Imagine a very long metal rod. Bang it on the side with a hammer and it will take some time for the generated wave to reach the other end. Bang it on the very end and the other end will move instantly as in zero time. Except Tesla did this without the metal rod, utilizing longitudinal waves rather than transverse. If someone can figure out how to send communications instantly(even though we are not doing that now), is it automatically forever impossible to do that with physical items? In fact you don't know much of anything for sure, for all time, nor does any mere human.

An encyclopedia could be filled with what we thought we knew that wasn't so. In fact most textbooks have been and are still being filled with errors now. Is that going to suddenly stop because you believe some guys math? Wow.

David
- 02/24/2018 at 09:26

The whole movie is based on the premise the advanced civilisations wouldn't have advanced travelling technology. It assumes that it would take civilisations 100 of years to travel to the furthest parts of their empire which is redicilous considering their an advanced civilisation. The pronunciation of the letter R is really off putting as well.

I Don't believe that this is a human being narrating. I believe that it's a computer in learning mode.
It's very off-putting. I could not continue watching. Sorry, Mr. Computer Narrator.
If you are human (Mr. Narrator)??? ...Please see a speech therapist or a voice coach.